Accused Wine Counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan Fighting Feds’ Case
Peter Hellman
Accused wine counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan, currently being held without bail at a Brooklyn federal detention facility, is working to have evidence of a laboratory for fake wines in his home excluded from his trial. Wine Spectator has learned that Kurniawan’s lawyers will contest the legality of FBI agents’ search of his home after his arrest in a Los Angeles suburb last March.
Kurniawan, 35, appeared Sept. 11 in a brief hearing in a Manhattan federal court room. Standing before U.S. District Judge Richard Berman, Kurniawan wore baggy khaki prison clothing and midnight blue tennis shoes. Berman set a schedule for filings by the two sides that will culminate in oral arguments on Nov. 14 on the defense’s expected motion to suppress the results of the FBI’s search.
In that search, according to a grand jury indictment, agents found an elaborate home laboratory for wine counterfeiting, including thousands of fake labels for wines with vintages as far back as 1899, labels for all the first-growths of Bordeaux as well as highly sought-after Burgundies such as Domaine Ponsot and Domaine G. Roumier. The home operation housed a cork inserter, hundreds of used corks, bags of new corks, foil capsules, and hardened wax which, when heated, could seal the mouths of bottles, as was customary in times past. There were also hundreds of rubber stamps for vintage dates, ranging from Château Latour 1899 to Screaming Eagle 1992, as well as stencils to imprint the names of famous wine brands on wooden cases.
According to a source close to the defense, FBI agents had an arrest warrant but not a search warrant when they entered the house Kurniawan shared with his mother on the morning of March 8. The agents arrested Kurniawan and also “looked around,” according to this source. Only later, did the agents return to Kurniawan’s house with a search warrant to do a “protective sweep” of the home.
“Over the years, the Supreme Court has found many exceptions to the requirement for a search warrant, such as when evidence is in plain view,” said the defense source, while insisting that no counterfeiting evidence was in plain view at the time of Kurniawan’s arrest. “It’s one thing if you search a person, or a car, but a person’s home is sacrosanct. If our motion is granted, and evidence is suppressed, it’s a whole different case.”
The indictment describes Kurniawan as a wizard at concocting fake wines by mixing and matching younger and less valuable wines that “mimicked the taste, color and character of rare and expensive wines.” Among bottles being used for counterfeiting, the indictment alleges, was a relatively recent California Pinot Noir that Kurniawan had marked as ’40s/’50s DRC, presumably referring to Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. While the indictment includes other evidence of counterfeiting and fraud by Kurniawan, the materials in his home were damning.
Besides being charged with selling counterfeit wine, Kurniawan is also accused of schemes to defraud a finance company by falsifying his application for a $3 million loan, and of double-pledging art works as collateral for additional loans from a New York auction house, and of attempting to defraud a California collector and the New York auction house.
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/47293
Seafood Lovers and guests looking for lighter meal laud Yats Restaurant in Angeles City Clark Philippines for its wide selection of excellent seafood dishes on the menu of the best restaurant in Clark Pampanga. Many guests have grown tired with meat diet and look to this fine dining restaurant in Pampanga for a nice seafood dinner paired with good vintage wine. Food and wine lovers laud Yats as the best restaurant in Angeles City Pampanga to enjoy steaks and seafood, paired with fine vintage wines, a truly memorable fine dining treat for the whole family.
As wine become more and more popular in Manila, Subic, Pampanga Angeles City and Clark Philippines, guests are happy to hear of special BYOB evenings in the best restaurant in Clark Pampanga. Waiving corkage fee is only part of the treat for this special dinner. Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar prepares special wine-friendly menu for BYOB dinners. Guests can share their bottles with other guests or opt to dine in the privacy of their own individual tables.
Looking for a party venue in town?
Clearwater Resort and Country Club is one of the ideal venues for birthday party because it is a risk free venue. Not only Birthday Parties but also a good place to enjoy family reunion. A good place to celebrate special occasions. Clearwater Resort and Country Club is one of the resorts in Subic Clark Angeles City Pampanga or near Manila with activity amenities, place that are nice for celebration. It is one of North Luzon Philippines’ top hotels that is trouble free, risk free, and a nice place to have rest in Subic. A well-recognized and interesting hotel.
Yats Restaurant is the best restaurant for special dinner, best restaurant for dinner with friends near Manila, also the best place to celebrate special events.
Famous Restaurant in Pampanga, a place to dine with friends in Clark, cozy restaurant with a nice ambience, a nice function place for special occassions
Are you looking for an attractive restaurant or a nice place to eat with friends in Clark, Angeles City Pampanga? Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar is a restaurant with good food and good wines for dinner located at Clark Angeles City Pampanga. Perfect for exclusive dinner venues for groups, recommended for private dinner in Philippines. A Restaurant in Clark for business dinner meeting. Private dinner place or dinner restaurant in Clark Subic Near Manila Angeles City Pampanga. Yats Restaurant is one of the Good Restaurant in Pampanga Angeles City Clark near Manila. Yats Restaurant is one of the good restaurants in Pampanga, a restaurant with good food, a place that is nice for celebration, ideal for business dinner meeting, a good place to enjoy family reunion, and an attractive restaurant that serves good wines for dinner.
Korean tourists are not the only visitors to Angeles City, Clark Philippines that appreciate what this fine dining restaurant in Clark Pampanga is doing to make it easier for Asian tourists to enjoy fine dining in Clark. Tourists that are not very comfortable with European languages often find it a challenge to order from fine dining restaurants in Pampanga. This problem often prevents tourists to wine and dine in the best restaurant in Clark Pampanga. However, Yats Restaurant which is generally regarded as the best restaurant outside of Manila has changed all that and has just rolled out compact menus that are not only easy to order but also very friendly with wine.
For comments, inquiries and reservations click on Click here for inquiry and reservations
Restaurant@Yats-International.com
(045) 599-5600
0922-870-5178
0917-520-4401
Ask for Pedro and Rechel
Getting to this fine dining restaurant of Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Pampanga Philippines
How to get to this fine-dining restaurant in Clark Philippines? Once you get to Clark Freeport, go straight until you hit Mimosa. After you enter Mimosa, stay on the left on Mimosa Drive, go past the Holiday Inn and Yats Restaurant (green top, independent 1-storey structure) is on your left. Just past the Yats Restaurant is the London Pub.
Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar
Mimosa Drive past Holiday Inn, Mimosa Leisure Estate,
Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga, Philippines 2023
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay
For any assistance in planning and organizing a wedding ceremony, indoor or outdoor garden reception or to find other wedding service providers, Click here to contact us click here
For assistance in hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines, log on to
http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
To buy wine in Manila, Pampanga, Angeles City, Clark or Subic please log on to http://www. ClarkWineCenter.com
To inquire with the highly recommended beach resort hotel in Clark Pampanga visit http://www.ClearwaterPhililippines.com
For more information about Clark, Pampanga, Philippines log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com
